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The National Hockey League (NHL) has suspended Florida Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu from any involvement with the team after a heated social media exchange.
In a series of now-deleted X posts, Cifu reportedly made comments about the Israel-Palestine conflict and referenced Canada becoming the 51st state.
“Cifu will have an in-person meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at a later date,” ESPN noted.
.@NHL suspends Panthers’ minority owner for calling Canada ’51st state’ on @X – https://t.co/nKCRwXMt6l –
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) May 14, 2025
From The Palm Beach Post:
Douglas Cifu of Jupiter posted his comments to a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs about an hour after the Panthers defeated them May 11 in the Stanley Cup playoffs and two weeks after Canada elected a new prime minister who has vowed to fight Trump’s plans to annex the nation. “Eat s*** 51st state anti-semite loser. Israel now and forever. Until ever (sic) last Hamas rat is eliminated,” read a post on the now-deleted X account to Cifu, the team’s vice chairman and a longtime Palm Beach County resident.
The comment followed a taunt by the fan accusing Israel of “using starvation as a weapon to win a war” in Gaza against the Palestinian state.
The suspension bars Cifu, a multimillionaire and the CEO of Virtu Financial, from being around the Panthers — the NHL’s defending champion — as they compete for a third straight trip to the finals.
The Panthers and Maple Leafs resume their series, tied 2-2, on May 14 in Toronto.
WARNING – EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
BREAKING NEWS: Doug Cifu of Virtu Capital, was suspended by the NHL indefinitely from any and all involvement with his team and the league. pic.twitter.com/7PySIYcxPq
— Kevin Malone (@Malone_Wealth) May 13, 2025
🚨 BREAKING:
Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu has been suspended by the NHL for calling for the elimination of Hamas and calling out antisemitism.
Apparently, that’s now “unacceptable and inappropriate.”
Which part of calling for terrorists to be eliminated is “unacceptable”? pic.twitter.com/Xu4ltS6FRz
— Yehuda Teitelbaum (@chalavyishmael) May 13, 2025
Per ESPN:
Cifu is the vice chairman and alternate governor of Sunrise Sports & Entertainment, the Panthers, FLA Live Arena and SSE’s additional operating entities. He is the CEO of Virtu Financial, a financial technology services company co-founded by Florida owner Vincent Viola in 2008.
When asked for comment, the Panthers pointed to a statement Cifu provided to Florida Hockey Now on Tuesday:
“Two days ago, I posted regrettable and inflammatory comments on social media. My behavior does not reflect the standards of the Florida Panthers organization and the Viola family. I sincerely apologize to all those affected by my comments. I am committed to working with the NHL to amend my actions.”